(IN) FOCUS: Would You Do It Again? And How? With Neil Waller + James Street
Ten years of building Whalar Group and what those lessons tell us about the next ten.
Ten years ago, Whalar Group bet on creators before the Creator Economy became the force it is today. A decade later, Neil Waller and James Streetr reflect on what they got right, what they’d do differently, and what they’ve learned about building a company designed to evolve.
At the center is a bigger question: How do you keep learning quickly enough to build for what’s next?
That creates a natural bridge to learning and development across Whalar Group and The Lighthouse. As technology, platforms, business models, and creative careers continue to change, learning can’t happen separately from the work — it has to be part of how we work.
The Lighthouse learning tracks bring that philosophy to life, connecting creators with new skills, perspectives, industries, and one another.
The first ten years were about believing in creators and building for them. The next ten years are about building what’s next together.
Moderated by creator Coco Mocoe.
Coco Mocoe is a premier pop-culture commentator, music industry strategist and host of the entertainment podcast The Middle Row, a video interview series where Coco sits down with artists like Charli XCX, Slayyyter and ADÉLA to break down their music videos on the big screen in a movie theater. Coco is widely recognized as the internet's go-to trend forecaster, famous for breaking down viral music marketing campaigns, celebrity branding strategies, and pop culture phenomena. Before becoming a fulltime Creator, she grew the Famous Birthdays and BuzzFeed TikTok accounts to multi-millions during the short-form boom. A Substack best-seller, AdWeek keynote speaker, and 2x Cannes & Tribeca featured creator, Coco was named a 2025 “Up Next Creator” by Tribeca.
Run of Show:
-11:00am: Doors
-11:30am: Conversation begins in Theater
-12:30pm: Mingling
-1:00pm: Event Ends
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